Innovating with Johor songket
JOHOR BAHRU: Songket was only worn by Malaysian royalty and dignitaries for official functions at one time.
While each one had a distinctive identity, those made by weavers in the east coast were renowned and later exported.
Johor, too, has a unique songket with a floral motif called “kain benang Johor corak Muar berbunga renek”.
According to Yayasan Warisan Johor (YWJ) assistant curator, Roslinda Mohd Rosli (pic), the state’s songket has undergone “rebranding” since 2013 under Prof Dr Zainon Ismail and Prof Dr Norwani Nawawi.
“The original ‘corak Muar’ was a plaid pattern (kotak kosong). We introduced something new in 2013 since the state government wanted to make it a prominent part of Johor’s identity,” she said.
Consequently, YWJ created 10 new patterns: four for normal people and six for royals.
The songket for royalty are called “Jauhar”, “Medini”, “Tanjung Puteri”, “Maharani” and two styles of “Tunku Mahkota Johor”.
“The motifs represent the Johor royal crowns and have the Jawi letters tha mim jim,” said Roslinda.
While for the masses there are “kain benang Johor corak Muar berbunga renek” A and B, “Mayang Selida” and “Tanjung Piai”.
“Weavers take two weeks to make a 2.25m long songket. Most songket are used as a kain samping worn over the baju Melayu teluk belanga or as a kain sarung for the women’s baju kurung teluk belanga,” she said, while adding that the yarn making process can take time, too.
Roslinda said YWJ’s Galeri Tenun Johor (GTJ) is experimenting with making songket with pineapple silk to make it more unique.
“It is used for the motifs or flowers. It can’t be used for the fabric surface because it is stiff and breaks easily,” she said, while adding the supplier is from Pontian.
She said those interested can order it (via YWJ or GTJ), but pineapple silk costs around RM700 per kg while the usual yarn costs less than RM100 per kg.
Roslinda said the price of handloom songket starts from RM2,000, while machine-made songket costs between RM200 and RM350.
GTJ employs six weavers who can make two songket per month, while a machine can make up to 200 songket in 6 months.
On how to take care of songket, she said it is better to roll it rather than fold, and dry clean only.
Institut Kraftangan Negara-qualified GTJ weaver, Norhulnadia Ahmad, 34, said songket-making requires passion and patience, and perhaps this is what made her suitable for the task of making the royal songket.
Her brother, Mohamad Sharil Ahmad, 20, was inspired to become a weaver as well after seeing her songket creations.
“I’ve watched her make songket since I was 15 years old and started learning to do it right after my SPM exam. I like weaving because of the back and forth process,” said the sole male GTJ weaver. – Bernama